Raoul Martinez on The Myth of Responsibility

Are we wholly responsible for our actions? We don’t choose our brains, our genetic inheritance, our circumstances, our milieu – so how much control do we really have over our lives? Philosopher Raoul Martinez argues that no one is truly blameworthy. Our most visionary scientists, psychologists and philosophers have agreed that we have far less free will than we think, and yet most of society’s systems are structured around the opposite principle – that we are all on a level playing field, and we all get what we deserve.

Voice: Raoul Martinez

Animator: Joe Bichard

Sound effects: Skillbard

Editor and Producer: Abi Stephenson

Extracted from a free talk given at the RSA in London, 2016. Watch the edited talk here: https://youtu.be/Q9KebV1ebyM or listen to the full podcast: https://soundcloud.com/the_rsa/creating-freedom